This invention relates to a device for people with or without hearing impairments. In particular this invention is designed to be small and portable and worn on the person or placed near the person as to be readily visible
Noises generated by ringing telephones, falling objects, car horns, alarms or spoken warnings are not noticed especially by deaf people. For example a smoke detector could be associated with this invention which will cause an audible signal which will trigger the device. When driving a car, car horns or sirens often indicate a situation where caution is called for. However, a deaf person cannot hear these sounds and may not realize that there is potentially hazardous situations present. In factories, audible alarms may go unheeded by people especially the deaf. By not being able to hear warnings a person may imperil his own or someone elses life.
Prior devices to warn people have not been adequate. One of the reasons for this is that they activated the alarm when a noise was present and did not automatically take into account the local ambient noise level. As such, in a noisy factory, the alarm would be on all the time. Additionally, many activated during a normal conversation. With the alarm activating continuously, a person would begin to ignore the alarm which would make the warning device useless. Also, many of the prior warning devices were of a highly complex nature and expensive to mass produce.
This invention can be activated by a local acoustic signal or by a remote RF link. In the latter mode, the signal can be specially encoded for individual communication to a specific user in a large group of individuals who might be wearing or otherwise using a similar device so as to program specific functions to a selected individual.
Many of the prior devices were designed to work in a specific environment. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,580,598 is designed to wake up a deaf person. This unit is not portable and is only useful in that one environment. U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,742 is specifically made to transmit voice communications by radio. This device has no provisions for audible noise detection for use in providing a warning. Additionally none of the prior devices had a means for varying the trigger threshold to allow for different noise environments such as a noisy factory or a quiet house.
In view of the foregoing, it is the object of this invention to provide a device for people to perform numerous functions, the key feature of which is the ability of the device to automatically adjust to the ambient background noise level and trigger off when any audio signal occurs at a preselected level above the ambient.
Another object of this invention is to alert the wearer to impending danger.
A further object of this invention is to arouse a sleeper when a noise above ambient occurs.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a device for training or instruction of those who have hearing impairments.
Still a further object of this invention is to provide a device for communicating, paging or summoning the user.
Another object of this invention is to provide a device for use in medical clinics, hospitals and the like for diagnostic purposes.
Another object of this invention is to provide a warning device that is portable and has the ability to operate by remote control.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a warning device that is easily attached to the wrist of the user.
A further object of this invention is to provide a warning device that can be easily and inexpensively mass produced.